Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-04

Applications for teachers POSITIONS We're
received from Miss a. j. Neary, Miss Ber-
tha Ebert and Miss Hester Mooney.
Adjourned sine die.
The new Board met on adjournment of
the old Board the new members, A S.
Hopkins and H. C. Chapman, taking the
places of 3. f. Howard and E. K. Alsip.
A. Conklin was elected President for the
ensuing year.
Adjourned until Monday, January 10th.
CITY SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
Following is the report of City Superin-
tendent Beard, referred to above:
OFFICE OF THE CITY SUPERINTENDENT,
January 3, 1887.
To the Board Of Education, Sacramento, Cdt.-
GENTLEMEN: In accordance with regulations
submit the following report for the year 1856:
The total number of schools under direction
of this Board is twelve. One High School, two
| Grammar Schools, nine Primary and one Night
School.
The High School has five teachers, 1SS pupils
enrolled-122 average attendance the Gram
mar Schools have 26 teachers, 995 pupils en-
rolled-S92 average attendance; the Primary
Schools, 50 teachers, l,9i2 pupils enroled-l ,727
teachers, 92 pupils enrolled-63 average attend
| ance. The Principal of this school has also
charge OF the grammar classes, which have pa
pupils.
The number of pupils enrolled December 9lst
was 3, ,l62, against S,O7S the year before-an in
! crease of 81.
There was decrease in the High School of 81
| an increase of 80 in the Grammar Schools an
| increase of ~ in the Primary Schools. The de
crease in attendance at the High School is to be
| regretted.
The total number Of census children between
| D and IL years OF age is 5,756. Deducting from
i this 3,i62 in the public schools and a reported
l,OOO IN other SCHOOLS leaves ,59i children that
/ do not attend school.
4 -,
of the ear ssi5 is. There has since been paid
| in, from taxes, SSi 131 % from the sale of OLD
| material, S73. and from nonresident tuition,
| S2l0; in all, So, ,259 40.
| The expenditures for the year were: Teachers,
sos 60; janitors, 1881; fuel 81 15s stationery,
81, l67 o.; furniture, 81 25l &C; Insurance. S752
repairs, So, ACC 5S miscellaneous, 81 $40 49, max
ing total Of ssi 2l2 IS, and leaving on hand a
| balance of 81 047 %.
The cost per pupil, by reason of teachers sal
| aries, was $50 70; the total cost per pupil was
| S26 20.
| The average number of pupils TO each teacher
| is 35 The percentage of promotions on average
| attendance in the High School was so: in the
| grammar schools So and in the primary schools
The condition of the schoolhouses is gen
| orally good, but would suggest that the walls
! and ceilings of every school-room in the city
not recently done, be whiteued at the close OF
/ school in July, as the health of the children
| should ever be one of our most important cares
| There are still at Fourth and @, Sixteenth and
| n, and Seventh and &, some old double desks
| that should be replaced by new single ones
without delay. The cares Of the teachers are
| greatly enlarged where these double desks are
| used this and the comfort of the children de
| mand that change be made as soon as possible
| The new fence at Ninth and Tenth = and @,
/ recently built, is great improvement to the
school buildings there; in fact making he block
one of the handsomest in the city. Greater care
/ should be taken to have all school property in
the best possible condition, for better results
| certainly obtained in a clean and pleasant look
| ing school than otherwise.
Most of the grounds around the school-houses
| are In need of sand tilling-nOtably those at
| Twenty-fOurth and n, and Sixteenth and J
| streets. This should be done without delay, as
| It is during the rainy season the children suffer
| greatly from water standing in the yard.
would urge upon the Board that the duties
| OF the janitors be made more specific, and l
| shall be pleased to confer with the Committee
| on Rules and Regulations whenever convenient
| to its members.
! l find the course of study is not closely fol
| lowed in the schools. Those who follow the
| course printed in the book and those who dc
not both claim that they are following in
structious of the Board. If this is So and there
| are two courses ordered by the Board, | would
| advise the early meeting of the Committee on
Course of Study, that it may be made uniform.
| During the year we have had six assistant
| teachers in the night school. This is a change
/ Tor every month. and the strain is too great To
| put upon any class, much less the one at the
| night school, and good results are not possible
| if this continues The assistant teacher should
| pc elected fol- the year, as the Principal is.
| Ihere are great many graduates of the High
| school In the night school, seeking fur
| ther education, but the majority are un-
| fortunately not able 10 attend day school,
| and hence the importance of a good assistant
| to the very able Principal we have there, and at
| q salary that will induce him to remain. This
| position should be filed by u man OF strong
character and ample educational experience,
/ and thus this would be made one OF the most
| successful schools in the city.
! The primary schools are to my mind the most
| important OF any in the city, and none bat the
| best teachers should be there employed. 1t is
here the child receives its first education here
| where 1t is first accustomed to discipline here
| where the foundation is laid for its higher edu.
| cation. Now teachers in the eighth grade are
| continually looking for promotion, for the OBJ
vious N that the salary is barely sufficient
| TO support them II is advisable to change the
rules relating to this grade, and that some pro
| vision be made to keep the best teachers there
| For instance, make two years (or mOre) service
| in the schools a requisite for position in this
| grade, and fix the salary at $50 per month
While this is not as much as the teachers receive
| in any other grade, am confident that the posi-
tions would BE quickly filled by superior teach
eIs, who would be willing to remain, from the
| fact that they are employed but three-ffths as
| long daily the teachers in the other grades
| Putting all of the new and inexperienced teach
ers into the eighth grade should not be contin-
| ued.
| l think that the pupils in the primary schools
| should be more evenly divided. Having two
| grades in one room is no great task for the
| teacher; it would equalize their work and be
much better for the children.
| The system of written monthly examinations
| put upon the teachers in the Grammar Schools
is great deal OF labor, that is largely gratu-
| itous. This system should be greatly modified,
| if not altogether displaced. II should be
| the chief duty of a Principal of a
| Grammar School to keep himself posted as 10
/ the standing of all the classes in his school.
| This he must ascertain by extemporary exam.
| nations held by him at any land always unex-
/ pected) time, by making his appearance in the
classroom and submitting the questions be has
| prepared in any study.
The efficiency of the teachers would be greatly
| increased, instead of as now impaired, by de-
| voting the time now spent in the correction OF
| papers, to conscientious preparation of each
| days lessons.
| 1t should not be a duty of a Grammar School
| Principal to have daily charge of class of his
own in any OF the branches, but should give his
| whole time to the instruction of teachers and
| classes wherever in his judgment most needed
and should make himself felt as a teacher in
each aud every class in his school.
Semi-annnal examinations and promotions
are advisable, and should displaee the yearly
method now in use.
In the primary schools there are 957 boys and
go girls in the Grammar Schools 4S9 boys and
| $50 girls in the High School, 81 boys and 10.
girls. 1t will be seen that as the pupil advances
| the proportion of boys grows decidedly less
This calls for serious consideration, and sug
| gest that something be done that will induce the
boys to remain at their studies until through the
High School. A thorough commercial course in
the High school would partly accomplish the
| object here sought, and would urge that this
be done.
The special study of German in our Grammar
| schools is steadily progressing, and so long q.
the Principals of those schools and the teachers
| ia whose class rooms the German is tnught arr
in sym pathy with the subject their directive in
fluence will ever tend 10 preserve the interest o.
| the special students. The decrease, however
slight in the number of students of German il
the High School is to be deprecated, and its cor
Iective, perhaps, TO be sought in the directive
| sympathy Of the Principal
| The exceeding Worthiness Of our corps o
teachers has made my official business witt
| them my pleasing duty. In but one single in
| stance since the beginning of my term of Office
in the case Of w. W. Anderson Of the Higf
school-have l had 10 resort to the rigorou
measure of suspension.
! A great many orders of the Board are presum
ably upon the records kept by the Secretary
but they are next TO impossible 70 find. All rule
| of the Board relating TO the govt rnment OF tn,
schools should be printed in neat form, anC
| when new ones are passed il should be the sec
retary duty to attach thereto. We would thu
have all the rules of the Board where they c0Uit
| be consulted at 8 moment notice.
NJ. r. BEARD. City superintendent.
Free Trade.